P3 - DA planning march in Tshwane over Sassa debacle

The DA is planning a march to the Department of Social Development in Tshwane in the hopes of ensuring social grants are paid on time, the party said on Friday

Pretoria – The DA is planning a march to the Department of Social Development in Tshwane in the hopes of ensuring social grants are paid on time, the party said on Friday.

The party had applied for permission to hold a march next Friday, DA social development spokesperson Bridget Masango said.

"Thousands of DA supporters and concerned South Africans will take to the street of our capital to make it clear to the ANC that they cannot take the grants away from our poor and vulnerable."

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) this week indicated it had no clear plan in place to ensure the continued payment of social grants to more than 17 million beneficiaries after March 31.

"We are heading towards an unparalleled catastrophe, because the ANC’s Bathabile Dlamini has failed to put the interests of the poor first, focusing instead on hiding her smallanyana skeletons and defending Jacob Zuma at all costs."

Masango criticised President Jacob Zuma for not intervening.

"We need to fight Dlamini’s contempt for the poor and send a strong message next week that we will not allow our people to be treated in this way. The DA will fight for every person to get their grants, and on time."

Masango encouraged all concerned South Africans to join the march. Details of the meeting point and the route of the march would be announced at a later stage.